Rebecca Thomas

文绘◎ 汀 屿

Everywhere I go people stare at me. At the grocery store children gawk①gawk 英 [gɔːk] 美 [ɡɔk] n. 呆子；腼腆的人 vi. 呆呆地看着at me wide-eyed, craning②crane 英 [kreɪn] 美 [kren] n. 吊车，起重机；鹤vi. 伸着脖子看their necks and pointing as they tug their mothers'shirts. When I pass people on the street, I hear them mumble comments about my appearance.

I am not deformed or handicapped③handicapped 英 ['hændɪkæpt] 美 ['hændɪkæpt] adj. 残废的；有生理缺陷的n. 残疾人；缺陷者, I have strawberry blonde hair and blue eyes. What makes me different is that I’m 6-foot-4, and I’m a woman.

I was healthy, but incredibly shy as a child and into my teens.I'm from a small town, and I grew up and graduated with the same 50 people. I started playing basketball in third grade every Saturday,but I didn't have any control over my awkward, gangly body. I was 5-foot-10 in fourth grade.

I had a small group of friends in elementary school, but sometimes the boys picked on me, calling me

a bean pole or the Jolly Green Giant. I still remember my embarrassment when they taunted me, and how badly I wanted to be invisible.

I was forced into the spotlight④spotlight 英 ['spɒtlaɪt] 美 ['spɑtlaɪt] n. 聚光灯；反光灯；公众注意的中心vt. 聚光照明；使公众注意n. （Spotlight）聚焦wherever I went.

With high school came more confi dence. I had success in school,the arts and sports. My senior year I was the conference champion in high jump and the 400-meter run.The friendships I gained through my involvement in high school boosted my confi dence and helped me develop a sense of humor.

I'm a minority⑤minority 英 [maɪ'nɒrɪtɪ; mɪ-] 美 [maɪ'nɔrəti] n. 少数民族；少数派；未成年adj. 少数的；属于少数派的only in the sense of height. I can only imagine how those under the burden of a group prejudice based on their race or religion must feel. I like to think that those who have insulted me didn't intend to. I do believe that most people are basically good,but they can be insensitive.

I have come to learn that my height can be used to my advantage.I'll be graduating from college with a journalism degree soon, and when I stand up and ask a question, people listen. I'm a pretty decent high jumper, I can reach things on tall shelves, and I have a conversation starter for every occasion.

Being a tall woman was hard for me growing up. But in the end,I think it has made me a stronger individual. I’ve grown into my body, and I try my best to wear all 76 inches of my height with pride,and take the awkward comments and stares with poise.

In fact, sometimes I wear heels. Just to make them look twice.

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